Improvement in bale-ties



D. T. LEWIS.

BALE-TIE.

N0.183,948. Patented 0c'f..31.18'76` 'NITEE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID T. LEWIS, OF BROWNSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALE-TIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183.948, dated October31, 1876; application tiled September 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID T. LEWIS, of Brownsville, in the county ofHaywood and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and ImprovedBale-Tie and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to that class of baleties in which a metal buckleor loop connects the two ends of a metal strap that surrounds the bale.

lt consists in the peculiar construction of the buckle, the tongue ofwhich is made with an inclined passage for the admission of the end ofthe strap, said inclined passage being so inclined that, as the buckleis passed upon the tongue of the strap, the upper or outer end shall beinclined forward upon or over the strap, as hereinafter more fully setforth.

In the drawings, Figure l shows the buckle advancing upon the strap inthe act of tying the bale. Fig. 2 shows the parts in position when thebale is tied. Fig. 3 represents the buckle detached and in perspective.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote thesame parts.

The requirements of a bale-tie are wellknown to those whose businessmakes it necessary to use those articles, and need not be hereenumerated. The manner in which I have met these requirements willappear in the following description of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, a represents that part of the tieto which one end 7 of the strap is permanently attached. It is formed ina well-known way by a rectangular transverse perforation, leaving ashankaround which the end of the strap is bent, and fastened in any ofthe well-known methods. The other part is cut with two longitudinalslots, which leave sides b b, and a tongue, c c. This tongue is severedat d by an inclined transverse out, which leaves a space between theends sufficient for the passage of a strap of ordinary thickness movingin a plane parallel, or nearly parallel, to its sides.

The buckle is represented in Figs. 2 and 3, as it would appear when inposition on a bale. The space between the two parts of the tongue of thebuckle is inclined, at its upper end, to the permanent fastening a. Theupper part of the tongue on the left hand, and the lower part on theright, may be slightly beveled, as shown in all the figures, to admit ofgreater inclination of the buckle when the same is forced over thestrap, in the process of tying, as well as to facilitate the entrance ofthe strap into the transverse slot in the buckle, and to preventaccidental displacement. The movement of the buckle when passing uponthe strap is indicated in Fig. l. The lower end rounded end slips overthe surface of the bale, and the strap passes through the inclined slot.This goes on While the bale is under compression. As soon as thecompression ceases, the buckle, being brought over a hole in the strap,is immediately turned, the lower tongue c passes through the hole, andthe buckle lies, securely fastening the strap, as shown in Fig. 2.

The bale may be loosened and the straps untied by the same compressionand reverse movement of the parts.

It will be observed that the buckle is of such form that it may bestamped out of wrought metal, or made ot' malleable iron, as may bepreferred, the parts being such that the buckle will be strongly made ineither way. It may thus be cheaply made, and at the same time it isapplied and removed with facility. Further, it is removable withoutinjury to any ot' the parts, and the straps and buckles may be used andreused until worn out.

The amount of inclination of the slot is not essential, and indeed theslot may be made at right angles to the buckle, though it would be moreliable to detach, and not so easy to app1 5I am aware that a bucklehaving a rigid tongue with a passage for the end ofthe strap, is notnew, and such I do not broadly claim.

I claim as my invention- A bale-tie consisting of a solid buckle, formedat one end for attachment to one end of the strap, and provided with atongue which is cut transversely at or near the middle, so as to leavean inclined passage between the ends, as set forth.

DAVID T. LEWIS. Witnesses:

M. CHURCH, FRANK MOKENNY.

